Renting a room in someone's home: lodgers
Deposits and rent
Your landlord will tell you if:
- you need to pay a deposit
- you need to pay rent
Paying a deposit
You might be asked to pay a deposit. Your landlord can keep money from your deposit if you:
- miss your rent payments or are late paying rent
- damage the property
You should ask for a receipt or keep a record of the payment.
Your landlord does not have to protect your deposit with one of the government-approved schemes, but they may choose to do so.
They should return either the full deposit or the balance after any deductions at the end of your agreement. If they do not, you can take them to court.
Paying rent
Your landlord should tell you how much rent you must pay and how often it must be paid.
You may be asked to pay your rent weekly or monthly and this may affect how much notice you need to give before ending your agreement.
Your landlord can include the following things in your rent:
- part of the cost of their council tax
- the cost of utilities, equal to the amount you have used